Khabib Nurmagomedov, one of UFC's fiercest fighters, finally returns to the Octagon after 13 months off in a bout against Justin Gaethje in UFC 254 for the lightweight championship.
Nurmagomedov (28-0) last fought in September 2019 at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi, defeating Dustin Poirier by way of a third-round submission. His 28-win unbeaten streak is the longest active streak in the UFC. Talks have swirled about a potential rematch for Nurmagomedov with Conor McGregor, but the Russian fighter expressed zero interest in the fight and instead would rather face Georges St-Pierre.
Gaethje (22-2), the reigning interim titleholder, defeated Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 in May. Nurmagomedov was originally scheduled to fight Ferguson at UFC 249, but COVID-19 travel restrictions prevented the champion from traveling to the United States, forcing Gaethje to take the fight on short notice.
MORE: Save over 25% when you buy UFC 254 and an ESPN+ Annual Plan for only $84.98
Middleweights Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier are the co-main event in a fight with potential title ramifications. UFC president Dana White said that if Cannonier wins, he'll get a shot a Israel Adesanya's belt.
There are six prelim bouts scheduled to take place before the pay-per-view portion of the afternoon begins.
Here are the full details for watching Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje and the rest of UFC 254:
What channel is UFC 254 on tonight?
UFC 254 will be split into two parts: the main card and the prelims. The prelim fights can be seen on ESPN, ESPN+ or on the WatchESPN app at no added charge outside of standard cable fees. The main card moves exclusively to pay-per-view on ESPN+. Viewers must have a subscription to the ESPN+ streaming service and then pay an additional fee for the fights.
- UFC 254 prelims TV channel: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
- UFC 254 main card channel: ESPN+
What time does Khabib vs. Gaethje start?
It's a rare early event as coverage for UFC 254 begins on TV at 11 a.m. ET for the early prelim action. There are six prelim fights scheduled, and they will be stretched out for about three hours.
The UFC 254 main card starts at 2 p.m., with the Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje title fight likely not beginning before 4 p.m. ET.
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 24
- Early prelims: 11 a.m. ET
- Prelims: 12 p.m. ET
- Main card: 2 p.m. ET
- Live stream: ESPN+
How much does UFC 254 cost on PPV?
The prelims for UFC 254 are free to watch on TV or via WatchESPN for cable subscribers, but the main event requires a pay-per-view purchase AND ESPN+ subscription to watch. The PPV price for UFC 254 is $64.99 for current ESPN+ subscribers, while new subscribers can pay a bundle price of $84.98 for UFC 254 and an ESPN+ annual subscription.
UFC 254 fight card
Main card
- Khabib Nurmagomedov (c) vs. Justin Gaethje (int. c) for Numagomedov's Lightweight title
- Robert Whittaker vs. Jared Cannonier; Middleweight
- Alexander Volkov vs. Walt Harris; Heavyweight
- Jacob Malhoun vs. Phil Hawes; Middleweight
- Cynthia Calvillo vs. Lauren Murphy; Flyweight
- Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba; Light Heavyweight
Prelims
- Stefan Struve vs. Tai Tuivasa; Heavyweight
- Alex Oliveira vs. Shavkat Rahkmonov; Welterweight
- Da-un Ung vs. Sam Alvey; Light heavyweight
- Nathaniel Wood vs. Casey Kenney; Catchweight
- Liana Jojua vs. Miranda Maverick; Flyweight
- Joel Alvarez vs. Alexander Yakovlev; Lightweight